I have posted this question before on this forum and also other places, and still haven't got a good answer. I concentrate on my breath while meditating, however the time space between breaths is now quite large. What do i concentrate on / be aware of in the time between breaths. It is starting to effect my concentration in meditation sessions because I will switch attention from inner vision, sounds, to vibrations and keep thinking I am doing something wrong.
hey phil, i used to be square_one in the old forums... if you want to awaken your ajna chakra, you may want to focus your attention between eyes and up a bit, but you may just want to let your attention rest on your whole body, or you could pay attention to how your thoughts emerge and dissapate, really it all depends on what you want(that's what my teacher used to say all the time).
Focus on breath is not about focusing on the breath. Breath works by itself. Focus on breath is the technique for stilling the mind so that it comes back to its own essential nature as pure awareness. The space between breaths, without trying to silence breath, is your own clear mind. This is the point of meditation. So when your mind has settled into its self aware nature, then you should remain merely aware of awareness itself. Should the mind become distracted from the self aware nature then the technique would be to go back to paying attention to the breath until again the mind is still. Descriptions of the "signs" of successful meditation vary but include, fireflys, flickering flames, colors, bindus, stars, smoke, moon, sun, blazing fire, the cross and so on. When these signs come then it is ok to place the mind on them, and then when the mind wanders off, then place the mind back on the technique.
Yes I decided to just be aware / mindful of anything in the body including the breath, and enjoyed a much better meditation last night. Sometimes I can read too much and just end up getting confused. I do get these type of things in my inner vision most nights, but it still takes a lot of concentration to focus upon them fully. They are quite blurred usually. Always seem to get a vision of a lady, which I could only describe in appearance as looking like a angel. Hopefully I don't sound too mad at this point. No sound or information or message is ever connected to these images. Maybe they are a fiction of the mind.
These visions are spontaneously arising manifestations of subtle karmic traces. As such, no matter what they are one should let them self liberate. Nonetheless, they are informative, and interesting, and yet, they are not to be taken literally, even if they do give you messages. After they self liberate then true clairavoyance begins, not before. In my life I have known many people who would be taken for mad by the varietys of their religious experiences. I know a few who do in fact see all the gods all the time, and they have learned to function and to hide it well. Imagine telling a Christian that you were talking to Jesus over your Frosted Mini Wheats. If they still had an Inquisition! These visions are merely to show one that they are on the right path, and to keep one motivated, but as Buddhists say, what value in pursuing a worldly God which itself is mired in confusion. One needs to stay centered in the Middle Way between extremes of thought, not reify deities, and wait until the clearest clear light dawns completely. This is the way.
thanks for your posts Chodpa they are a great help and really useful. Do think self realization is possible without a guru. I started up a correspondance with a swami who states they are an expert in dealing with and awakening kundalini. And basically says without Diksha (havent a clue what that is) I will never make it on my own. And basically is saying I am not committed enough because I wont travel to USA from the UK to get Diksha or pay for her to come to the UK. Basically hoping for some reassurance that I am not limited by following my own path by myself.
Don't trust self made gurus that force you to do things, regardless of how small those things are. I am all for having a tradition because at all times one needs inspiration, guidance and both a path and goal. I decided upon the Vajrayana for these reasons, and also because my Buddhist lineages will last as long as the Earth. Mahayanists are sworn to stick around until every last being is liberated. I would hate to keep trying to find new masters of yoga. That said, there are many many Buddhists even amongst the Vajrayana who have never made the kundalini connection. I saw the kundalini snake when I got initiated into Transcendental Meditation when I was fifteen. Prior to that I flirted with meditation but no real samadhi. So I'm of the mind that initiation helps. But if you really want mantra diksha then you just simply have to get it from Ammachi. She's the only person on Earth right now that I can recommend unreservedly. Please find out where she is touring next. She will shaktipat you right up. Free, no committments or bullshit.
Here's Ammachi's tour dates in North America: Notice that they're right now for the next two months. I'm excited for you because you can really quickly get to see her and get her initiation if you're motivated. Here's her website http://www.ammachi.org/tours/amma-tours/n_america.html Let us know how it goes. Seattle 06.03 - 06.06 San Ramon 06.08 - 06.20 Los Angeles 06.22 - 06.26 New Mexico 06.28 - 07.02 Dallas 07.04 - 07.05 Fairfield 07.07 - 07.08 Chicago 07.10 - 07.11 Washin. D. C. 07.13 - 07.15 New York 07.17 - 07.19 Boston 07.21 Rhode Island 07.22 - 07.24 Toronto 07.26 - 07.29
thanks for the info Chodpa, but I live in the UK and can't fly. Due to a perforated ear drum I can't fly at high altitude, the pain is just too much. I once went to Greece by plane and it was terrible. I tried to explain this to the other USA based swami, but apparently I am just not committed. As I meditate maybe 3 hours a day and have this on the brain at all over times I tend to disagree. I have also only been meditating maybe 4 months so my knowledge of buddhism / hinduism isn't great. I feel the experience would be more valuable with a better insight into the reliegons. Plus I sometimes I worry you may get persuaded into providing money etc, and it may all be a fraud. I know this is negative thinking, but you hear of many frauds and abusive gurus. I kind of worry it could be like jehovah witnesses trying to persuade and force you into something.
My bad, I thought it was the other way around, that you lived in the US. Well, you're saved from having to attend then because it seems the UK isn't on Ammachi's tour dates. I wouldn't worry about pressure from them. They're not Jehovah's Witlesses. Hindus don't seek to convert other people, except Hare Krishnas. And that's because Hare Krishnas are really just like other fanatical dualistic patriarchal religion.
My dear Phil, Hari om! First of all, the swami you are corresponding with doesnt sound genuine. A guru is very essential to guide us in the spiritual path, because the way if full of pitalls, the guru has walked it beforer, he knows the way, he will guide you. There are many instanceas of students who have gone insane due to wrong meditation techniques, so you do need to be careful when you start devling deeper into yourself. Diksha is induction into a new stage of life, the diksha the swami referred to must have been sanyasa diksha, which means you renounce the world, become a full time seeker, have no possesions, live off the charity of others, etc. Not necessary. You can attain self realisation being a householder. Sanyasa is useful but for many it is just not an option, in which case meditation and karma yoga coupled with astudy of scriptures and satsang is your best form of sadhana. If you are interested you can email my guruji, I will send you the email address if you like in private. God bless you, Thy Own Self, Bhaskar
